Hydrofoil boat



y 0, 1965 N. A. SKUCE 11 3,195,496

HYDROFOIL BOAT Filed Nov. 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. NICHOLAS A. SKUCE IL ATTOR NEY y 1965 N. A. SKUCE 11 3,195,496

HYDROFOIL BOAT Filed NOV. 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NfiCi- OLitzi ASKUCE 11 E If WW 1 E E 8 Y Hi it! I i B ATTOR NEY 3,195,496 HYDROFOIL BOAT Nicholas A. Skuce II, 4748 Bonnister Ave, El Monte, (lalif. Filed Nov. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 322,809 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-665) This invention relates to improvements in small boats or hydrofoils of the type which are known commercially as hydrokarts. The invention involves primarily improvements in the hull design or configuration of the boat or hydrofoil whereby various objects and advantages as outlined hereinafter are realized.

Boats of this type are relatively small, shallow draft craft designed to carry a single person and ordinarily are driven by internal combustion engines up to 25 horse power, for example. The operator sits on a seat on the deck and cowlings are provided for the driving motor and over a storage compartment.

Boats of this type have a relatively flat hull, having a relatively flat deck and very little freeboard. The herein invention features a unique hull design which provides a hydrofoil hull having three effective keels, and the hull characteristically being identified as a 3V design. There is a longitudinal center keel and two intermediate keels spaced laterally from the center keel so that in cross section three-wide V's are formed, as will be described in detail hereinafter.

The construction of the boat, particularly as respects the hull design, makes it possible to achieve and realize many objects and advantages as outlined hereinafter.

A primary object that is realized is that the boat although it is highly maneuverable, and will turn in half again its own length, is extremely stable and will not capsize. This results from the fact and when the boat is turned the boat heels just enough so that the surface contacting the water shifts from the center keel to the port or starboard keel with the side of the boat acting as a wing. The manner in which this object is realized will be pointed out more in detail in the description following. If the boat heels or tilts beyond a position in which it is traveling on the port or starboard keel, the driving propeller or jet lifts out of the water to stop the driving thrust so that the boat heels or tilts back and therefore is stable and will not capsize.

' Another object that is realized is that the boat is smooth and stable in even the roughest water and will operate safely with any engine up to, for example, 25 hp. or higher. I

In preferred forms of the invention as described herein preferably the hull is fabricated from heavy duty molded fiberglass using generally conventional boat construction techniques. This provides for a very strong but light hull which is able to take strenuous punishment. The hull can be urethane-filled, that is, filled with foamed plastic so that it will not sink even if punctured.

In the preferred forms of the invention, a particular type of steering is provided for which utilizes aircraft-type stick control as described in detail hereinafter.

The drive of the boat as described herein may be standard propeller drive or water jet drive.

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention;

* United States Patent 3,195,496 Patented July 20, 1965 FIGURE 2 is a bow view taken along the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a stern view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side view partly in section of the boat of FIGURES 1 to 3;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom perspective view of the boat of FIGURES 1 to 4;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 7.

Referring now more in detail to FIGURES 1 to 5 of the drawing, numeral 10 designates the boat generally. The design or configuration of the hull is best illustrated in the bow and stern views and the perspective view of FIGURE 5. With respect to the construction of the hull itself, preferably it is fabricated from molded fiberglass using generally known boat fabrication techniques. Preferably the hull is formed from upper and lower molded fiberglass sections as designated at 11 and 12. The lower section 12 forms the bottom of the boat having the hull design shown and as will be referred to presently. The upper and lower sections are joined together at their peripheries and this may be by riveting the two sections together and preferably a flexible rubber or vinyl bumper is provided around the entire periphery as designated at 15. Preferably this bumper is of U-shaped or channel cross-section and encloses the riveted joint between the upper and lower sections. Or, the bumper may fit into a peripheral groove around the periphery or gunwales of the boat, including the bow and stem.

The configuration of the bottom of the boat, i.e., the hull, is as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 5 and is such as to provide three keels as designated at 18, 19 and 20. The keel 18 is the center keel and the keels 19 and 20 are laterally spaced keels spaced to port and starboard from the center keel 18. It will be observed that the surfaces adjacent to these three keels provide wide V-shaped surfaces. The periphery of the joined upper and lower sections 11 and 12 forms the gunwales of the boat as designated at 24 and 25. The surfaces between the gunwales and intermediate keels 19 and 20 as designated at 29 and 30 are identified as chines and in the particular design of the hull of this invention, these surfaces are characterized as non-trip chines for reasons which will be explained presently.

With respect to the internal structure of the hull, preferably there is provided an elongated fore and aft stringer which is a member made of plywood extending along the length of each of the keels 18, 1% and 20. Internally within the hull, there is a transverse water-tight bulkhead just forward of the enclosure or cowling 32. Interior parts of the hull may be filled with urethane or foamed plastic which, as known, is very light in weight so the boat will not sink even if punctured.

The cowling 32 may be a molded fiberglass enclosure having the configuration as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, and is mounted over a forward cockpit or compartment in the boat and may be secured or bonded to the deck surface by any suitable means. Preferably, the cowling has an air scoop 34 at the top and ventilation opening 35 in the front part thereof.

The engine may preferably be an internal combustion engine of suitable type and horsepower that is commercially available for marineuse of this type, as will'be described presently.

The bow of the boat in the configuration shown is square and the stern also is square. Mounted over a compartment adjacent the stern and secured or bonded to the deck is an enclosure or cowling 37 forming the engine room or compartment. This cowling or enclosure may be of any suitable and convenient configuration as shown in the drawings, it having a front wall 38 which provides a back rest for the operator or pilot who sits on a seat 40 formed by the part of the deck between the compartments 32 and 37.

Provided on the deck are foot rests or braces 42 and 43 against which the operator or pilot places his feet during operation of the boat with hislegs straddling the compart- Y ment 32. o

The throttle lever forcontrolling the driving engine is designated at 45.v In the form of the invention shown in these figures, the boat is propeller-driven, the propeller being designated at 50. The propeller is on a shaft 52 supported in a shaft hanger or bracket 53 attached to the bottom of the hull as shown. The shaft passes into the boatthrough a sealed fitting in an extending vane or well extending from the bottom or hull of the boat as designated at 55. The motor 56 is in the motor compartment as described in thefore going adjacent the stern of the boat. It drives a shaft 58 connected by a joint or coupling 59to another shaft 60 which drives a gear transmission unit 62 which is supported on a bracket 63 from the'bottomof the boat. This unit drives a shaft 65 which is connected by a joint or From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will understand the nature' and operation of the boat or hydrofoil hu-ll of'the invention and its peculiar capabilities and characteristics. It will be observed that the boat is one that realizes and accomplishes all of the objects and advantages as stated in the foregoing, as. well as having many additional advantages that are apparent from the detailed description. 7

The boat may be built in various sizes, but'preferably in anappropriate size of about 8 feetin length with a width of, for example, 41 inches. Theboat is-very light, but is extremely sturdy and stable as described in the foregoing. It can-readily be carried in. a station wagon or on top of a family car. Two people can conveniently lift it from'a car and put it in the water so that there are no launching problems. a

As explained in the foregoing, by reason of the boats unique 3V hull design, it is extremely stable even in the roughest waterfor breeze and will not capsize when turning although it is extremely maneuverable and will turn in half again its own length. As explained, when turning, the boat will'heel from a levelposition on the center keel 18. so that it rides on one of the intermediate keels 19 or 20. For example, when the boat is turned on that side being out of the water.

so as to heel to port it, then travels or'rides primarily on the keel 19, the chine 29 and the surface between keels 18 and 19. The boat will'not heel further because if it does the propeller "or thrust nozzle will lift out ofv the water terminating the thrust so that the boat will tilt or heel back toward a normal position. When the boat is riding or travelling; on one of the intermediate keels, the'gunwale on that sideis approximately at the water while the gunwale on the other side is lifted, the chine For these reasons, the hull is identified at a non-trip chine hull.

. As an'alternative to propeller drive, the boat may also be drivenby means of 'an adjustable water jet nozzle which is adjustable to adjust the direction of the thrust which extends into the boat through a suitable fitting'77. On the end of the shaft 76 is a bevel gear 80 which meshes with a bevelgear' 81 on the end of the'shaft 71. The fitting 77 is, shown more in detail in FIGURE 6. The fitting V 77 is preferably an aluminum casting having an O-ring seal 82 which seals between the rudder post or stem 76 and the fitting 77; There is also a counterbore 84 in the fitting .77 in which are provided neoprene sealingrings 85. The fitting 77 hasfan extending part which extends.

through an opening 86 in thefhull. This end part 'is threadedand threaded onto it is a securing nut 87 with a washer 88, between the nut and the hull 12. Numeral steered by the pilot or operator merely byv moving" the a for steering. .Such type of drive is ideally adapted to navigating on water, only a few inches deep-where propeller-driven craft would not be able to operate.

a The foregoing disclosure is representative of preferred forms of, the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be I accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

1' claim: r

1. In a boat construction, incombination. means comprising a relatively shallow draft hull, said hull having a longitudinal center keel portion and having first bottom surfaces extending laterally therefrom, generally flat surfaces "forming chines outboard of said longitudinal center keel andinclined upwardly from said first bottom surfaces, said chines having a sufiicient transverse dimension relativeto thedraft of the hull and the configuration of far as the bottom of it isconcerned is of the same design and configuration. Corresponding parts in. this modifithis form of the invention, the motor ismounted forward of the pilot as designated at 103 and drives the propeller" through the shaft' 105 and joint 'or coupling 106 and pro-:

peller shaft 52;; The rear compartment 37 is abaggage" or luggage compartment and there, being a back rest 109 for-the operator or pilot just forward of the compartment37f..

the boat and the boat having a beam dimension which issufficiently large with respect to the draft, whereby the boat may travel onthe .water on the generally flat surfaces adjacent to the center keel or on the said flat surfaces forming chines, said center'keel and the lower edges of said chines being'linea'rly continuous from the stem to substantially the forward end of said boat.

2. Aboat asin claim l wherein the said boat has a relatively flat decksubstantially level with the gunwales, a

rear cowling mounted on the deck. and; a forwardly mounted cowling' defining therebetween a seat on the deck between cowlings for the pilot of the boat.

' 3. A boat as in claim 2 including steering means comprising a'rudder at the stern of the boat and a laterally swinga ble stickpositioned 'in front of said seat, longiitudinally extending shaft means rotatable by said stick and rudder-driving gearing operable by said shaft means' whereby thesaid rudder'is operated by. transverse swinging movements'of said stick. i

(References on following page) i References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Erskine 96 Peck 114--144 5 Nelson 114-665 Randall 11466.5 Bidwell 114144 De Stefani 96 X Love 96 X 6 10/62 Robison 114--56 X 11/62 Brumrner 96 2/64 Chew 114-665 3/64 Fuller 11466.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 12/52 Germany.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A BOAT CONSTRUCTION, IN COMBINATION, MEANS COMPRISING A RELATIVELY SHALLOW DRAFT HULL, SAID HULL HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CENTER KEEL PORTION AND HAVING FIRST BOTTOM SURFACES EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREFROM, GENERALLY FLAT SURFACES FORMING CHINES OUTBOARD OF SAID LONGITUDINAL CENTER KEEL AND INCLINED UPWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST BOTTOM SURFACES, SAID CHINES HAVING A SUFFICIENT TRANSVERSE DIMENSION RELATIVE TO THE DRAFT OF THE HULL AND THE CONFIGURATION OF THE BOAT AND THE BOAT HAVING A BEAM DIMENSION WHICH IS 